Friday, August 07, 2015

Frank Turner - Positive Songs For Negative People

With his sixth studio album Frank Turner is looking at the brighter side of life. In many ways a sequel to his previous full length, 2013’s Tape Deck Heart, this posi post break-up album is his biggest and most ambitious to date. Straying further away from folk, Positive Songs For Negative People instead feels like a big rock and roll record - because that’s exactly what it is. This stylistic change comes at the expense of a little focus and some of the intimacy of his previous work, but is far from being detrimental.

Opening almost exactly where Turner’s last LP left off, the singer/songwriter draws upon the stories told in ‘Broken Piano’ and particularly ‘The Fisher King Blues’, depicting himself as a lost soul of London. The city and it’s landmarks, including Turner’s stomping ground of Holloway, form the background of this redemption story; our hero longing desperately for the titular Angel Islington to appear. It provides closure, both personally and musically, and sets the tone for what’s to come - the grit and determination in Turner’s slightly sullen words leading perfectly into the album’s rapturous first single.

Bursting with punk rock energy, ‘Get Better’, and it’s follow up ‘The Next Storm’, epitomise the ‘positive songs’ aspect of this record. Both triumphant anthems, with tremendous, pop-laden hooks, the two tracks both stem from dark places but see Turner coming out fighting. The passion and ire behind every word is tangible and real, the broken author of the last record appearing revived and intent on swapping darkness for light. This strong start continues into ‘The Opening Act Of Spring’, softening as it does so. A simple combination of acoustic guitar and mandolin working well to lighten Turner’s approach. Guilt-ridden and revelatory, the song is sweet but not saccharine and, in many ways, is a throwback to his earlier work. One of my favourites on the album, it leaves with a feeling of clarity and, again, a sense of closure can be felt.

It’s at this point I wondered whether Positive Songs… might be a concept album. After all, the progression throughout the first four songs seems so clear. Alas, that isn’t the case and, despite remaining musically and thematically cohesive, the ‘story’ that formed early on falls by the wayside during ‘Glorious You’. Sincere and engaging, with yet another big chorus, the track takes a different approach to the subject of hurt and changes things up enough to stop the record sounding repetitive.

The inter-connected narrative of positivity that Turner has curated here works really well. It’s fresh, affirming and, most importantly, it feels like a Frank Turner record - a quality that his previous release lacked at times. However things begin to get a little muddy as we approach the midpoint. ‘Mittens’ feels like a relapse of sorts, both musically and lyrically. It plods along in a downtrodden fashion, the unrequited love song only offering chance glimpses of the clever wordplay that Frank is capable of when he’s at his best. The use of a flimsy metaphor - “we used to fit like mittens, but never like gloves” - as the basis of the song feels completely out of character and also halts any momentum the album had gained up until this point. The fact that large aspects of the song are done better elsewhere on the album - the use of analogy on ‘Love Forty Down’ and the dramatic sentiments best employed on ‘Josephine’ - don’t do it any favours either.

Thankfully, this is the album’s only major low point. Sure it gets a little erratic from here on out - the fast-paced ‘Out Of Breath’ sticks out like a sore thumb despite being catchy as hell and ‘Silent Key’ is just a little too fanciful for my liking - but ‘Demons’ is a return to form and continues in the same vein as the album’s first half. Heavy on the keys and with a hint of Craig Finn in Frank’s delivery, there’s no doubt that this is a product of his love for The Hold Steady. The buoyant rock and roll sound lending itself well to the defiant lyrics and combining well with yet another massive and infectious chorus. All of this makes ‘Demons’ a true standout and the choice to double down on this with the self-deprecating and dream-induced ‘Josephine’ is a shrewd move.

The album’s curtain call comes in the form of ‘Song To Josh’. Poignant and heartbreaking, it sent a chill through me upon first hearing it and I think it always will. A live recording, it shows Turner at his most raw and vulnerable. How much Josh meant to him, and to everyone, is clear and is only driven home by the way Frank’s voice cracks mid way through the song - it’s devastating. And whilst a straightforward acoustic song is perhaps not how many will expect such a bold and euphoric album would end, its importance makes it a fitting tribute.

Such mournful moments are surprisingly sparing though and the overarching feeling as the record ends is one of resilience. Frank’s outlook is brighter than anticipated, something that’s reflected in the music, and yet, like a lot of his best songwriting, Positive Songs For Negative People is fuelled by insecurity and heartbreak. The difference is that the resulting songs are, for the most part, fervent rock and roll instead of brooding and acoustic. In many ways it’s a record that feels overdue, a full realisation of what he and The Sleeping Souls attempted with Poetry Of The Deed, and whilst it’s not perfect there’s no doubting its quality.

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